Travis Scott L.A. Newsstand Investigated Possible COVID Violations
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Travis Scott's flash mob-type gathering on the streets of West Hollywood might cost him -- because city officials are taking a closer look to see if he broke pandemic regulations.
L.A.'s Dept. of Public Works tells TMZ ... the city did not issue a permit for Travis' Cactus Jack newsstand Tuesday in WeHo, as we're told the city's been frowning on dishing 'em out lately due to COVID-19 -- especially for non-essential gatherings like this.
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In light of that, we're told Public Works plans to consult with the City Attorney's office on any possible actions they might wanna take -- including potential fines. Public Works did note to us that even though they do issue citations for permitting violations ... it wasn't certain that would be done in this case.
As we reported ... Travis assembled dozens of bodies at a newsstand, which he emblazoned with his Cactus Jack signage -- all as a way to announce the 1st issue of his "Utopia Issue" of i-D Magazine. Limited editions were being distributed to the masses.
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You'll recall ... Travis got dinged for something very similar not too long ago in the SoCal city of Downey, which only ended up costing a couple hundred bucks -- and McDonald's covered the tab for him.
That's not to say L.A. will do the same -- the City Council has been gunning to crack down on blatant COVID rule-breaking. Members recently voted to have cops step up enforcement, and for the City Attorney to potentially institute stiffer penalties for those who flout safety measures.
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Bruce Springsteen Pleads Guilty to Boozing ... DWI, Reckless Driving Charges Dropped
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Bruce Springsteen's criminal record won't show any guilty plea to driving under the influence -- because the Boss just struck a deal with prosecutors.
Springsteen pled guilty to only one misdemeanor count of consuming alcohol in a closed area. He admitted to drinking at the Gateway National Recreational Area -- a federal property, where booze is forbidden.
The other charges he was facing -- DWI and reckless driving -- were dismissed by prosecutors ... who said, in court, his BAC was well below the legal limit at .02, so they felt they couldn't prove their case.
Bruce's penalty was a $500 fine and an extra $40 for court fees -- which he said he could take care of immediately.
His attorney, Mitchell Ansell, says ... "Mr. Springsteen is pleased with the outcome of today’s court appearance." He adds, "Mr. Springsteen, who has no previous criminal record of any kind, voluntarily plead guilty to a violation of consuming an alcoholic beverage in a closed area, agreeing to a fine of $500. We want to thank the Court and will have no further comment at this time."
TMZ broke the story ... the Boss was arrested for DWI back in November at Gateway National Recreation Area in Sandy Hook, NJ, but it came to light when we reported it earlier this month. He was cited for DWI, reckless driving and consuming alcohol in a closed area.
According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, Bruce was glassy-eyed, swaying and reeked of booze when he was arrested. Remember, police said an officer watched Bruce take a shot of Patron Tequila before riding away on his motorcycle. For what it's worth, cops say Bruce was cooperative throughout the arrest.
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Dr. Dre Let's Have a Judge Decide Prenup's Validity ... Now
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Dr. Dre and his estranged wife, Nicole, have several areas of conflict in their contentious divorce, but the biggest stumbling block is the validity of their prenup, and Dre wants a trial ... STAT.
Dre's lawyer, disso queen Laura Wasser, has filed legal docs asking for a 5-day trial over the prenup. As we reported, Nicole signed the prenup before they married but claims Dre came to her shortly after the nuptials, saying he regretted "pressuring" her to sign it and tore up multiple copies right in front of her. Dre denies he pressured her and denies he ever tore it up ... and points to a clause in the document that says altering it must be in writing.
Dre has asked to remove the case from the court system and have a private judge handle the divorce case -- away from the public spotlight -- but Nicole has rejected that, favoring instead a traditional court trial. If it stays in the courts, it may take a very long to for a judge to hear the case ... because the pandemic has caused enormous trial delays.
To be continued.
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Elijah McClain Family Feels Vindicated ... Panel Finds Aurora PD in the Wrong!!!
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Elijah McClain was dealt with in a severely uncalled-for manner by Aurora, CO cops and paramedics -- so says an independent panel investigating the 23-year-old Black man's death ... and now his family wants the officers criminally charged.
Elijah's father, Lawayne Mosley, and the family's attorney, Mari Newman, joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" to discuss the findings of a commission gathered by the Aurora City Council.
Newman says the commission determined cops did everything wrong during the 2019 incident ... starting with having no legal reason to stop and frisk Elijah, not to mention later detaining him in a chokehold.
As for the paramedics, the commission found they gave Elijah way too much ketamine to sedate him, and ended up putting him in a coma ... before he later died.
Newman says Aurora PD tried covering up their mess after the fact -- another finding she says the panel discovered and made clear in its 157-page report.
Elijah's dad says the commission's findings are just the start, because his family wants justice. They'd like to see the officers criminally charged for Elijah's death -- plus, they've already filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city and the police department.
There's another update for this case ... the fact that the firing of three Aurora PD officers last year was upheld a just couple weeks ago by the city's Civil Service Commission. When the Chief of Police spoke about their actions at a presser, it was clear she was sickened ... they photographed each other mockingly reenacting a chokehold during a memorial for Elijah.
As for whether Mr. Mosley still believes justice will be achieved for Elijah -- you might be surprised by his answer. Sounds like he's keeping the faith.
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Daniel Prude Death Rochester Cops Won't Face Charges
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None of the Rochester police officers suspended over the death of Daniel Prude will face criminal charges ... a grand jury just declined to hand up an indictment.
New York Attorney General Letitia James expressed disappointment in the decision, and slammed the system as a whole saying ... "Current laws on deadly force have created a system that utterly and abjectly failed Mr. Prude."
She claims her office presented the most comprehensive case it possibly could and added ... "I know that the Prude family, the Rochester community and communities across the country will rightfully be disappointed by this outcome."
As we reported, 7 Rochester cops were suspended in September after video was released of the 41-year-old Black man being detained on March 23, having a hood placed over his head, and then pressed down on the ground.
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Prude was held there for 2 minutes until cops realized he was unconscious. He was taken to the hospital and placed on life support, but died a week later.
The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide, caused by "complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint" and noted "excited delirium" and PCP intoxication as contributing factors.
NY AG James says on that fateful March day, Prude "was in the throes of a mental health crisis and what he needed was compassion, care, and help from trained professionals. Tragically, he received none of those things."
She adds ... "The criminal justice system has frustrated efforts to hold law enforcement officers accountable for the unjustified killing of unarmed African Americans."
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren also expressed outrage, saying the grand jury decision is "hard for many of us to understand." She says the City needs to work on policy reform to "correct the inequities in the system."
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Zachery Ty Bryan Pleads Guilty in Domestic Violence Case
Zachery Ty Bryan struck a plea deal in his domestic violence case ... and it looks like he won’t do any time behind bars.
The "Home Improvement" star pled guilty to 2 misdemeanor counts -- menacing and assault in the fourth degree -- for his arrest in Oregon last year after an altercation with his girlfriend.
According to legal docs ... Bryan's 2 felony charges -- strangulation and coercion -- along with several misdemeanor charges have been dismissed as part of the plea deal.
Bryan's sentence includes 3 years probation during which he must complete a batterers intervention program.
We broke the story ... the actor was arrested in October after allegedly attacking his girlfriend over missing phone charging cables.
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Ahmaud Arbery Mother Files Civil Rights Lawsuit ... On 1-Year Death Anniversary
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Ahmaud Arbery's mother just filed a bombshell federal lawsuit, alleging the men charged in her son's death were in cahoots with local law enforcement.
Wanda Cooper is suing Greg and Travis McMichael and William Bryan -- the 3 who've been charged in connection with Ahmaud's killing one year ago Tuesday ... as well as a number of police officials in Glynn County, and the county itself ... all of whom she says violated Ahmaud's civil rights.
According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Wanda recounts the events of Feb. 23, 2020 ... claiming Ahmaud went out for a jog that day, only to be targeted by the McMichaels and Bryan, who she alleges were deputized by Glynn County PD, and says Greg McMichael even had a police-issued revolver.
With those firearms -- including the revolver and a 12-gauge shotgun carried by Travis McMichael -- Wanda claims the men chased Ahmaud down on a "gut feeling" that he might be involved with recent break-ins in their neighborhood ... and then murdered him in cold blood.
Once Travis McMichael shot at Ahmaud point-blank range with his shotgun, Wanda alleges he uttered the words, "f***ing N***er." The aftermath, she alleges, is just as disturbing.
Wanda claims there were efforts by Glynn County and Brunswick County prosecutors -- as well as other officials involved in the initial investigation -- to sweep the incident under the rug, as she says Gregory McMichael had once been employed by the local police force as well as by the D.A.'s office. She says if it wasn't for the video of Ahmuad's death being leaked, it's possible nobody would've ever known or believed what happened to her son.
Ahmaud's mom alleges multiple causes of action ... including excessive force, conspiracy to violate Ahmaud's civil rights, conspiracy to obstruct justice, a failure to properly train officers, and several others.
She's seeking at least a million dollars in damages.
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Bobby Shmurda He's Free!!! Calls Mom After Early Prison Release
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8:45 AM PT -- Quavo just posted video of himself with Shmurda hopping out of the private jet that he picked him up in.
7:07 AM PT -- Bobby looks ecstatic to be a free man, as he's celebrating with loved ones and blowing kisses to his mother ... who he'll be seeing in person soon.
Bobby Shmurda has reason to bust out the Shmurda Dance ... he's no longer behind bars after getting sprung early.
The rapper was released from New York's infamous Clinton Correctional Facility just before 8:30 Tuesday morning, which is about 10 months earlier than expected.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Shmurda will now be under parole supervision for the next 5 years until Feb. 23, 2026.
As we reported ... Bobby got his conditional release date bumped up by the prison's Time Allowance Committee, which made the call after reviewing his behavior and participation in prison programs. It looks like Shmurda got early release for essentially staying out of trouble in the prison.
Bobby had been in custody since December 2014, and was initially sentenced to 6 to 7 years in prison after copping a plea deal back in September 2016 to conspiracy to possess weapons and possession of a weapon. He got credit for around 2 years of time served before the sentence.
Shmurda had an eventful time in lockup, racking up 11 violations, including allegedly having a shank, drug possession and fighting ... but it looks like he turned things around recently to score his early release.
Originally Published -- 5:55 AM PT
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Oregon DUI Arrest Man Clocks .77 BAC Highest EVER?!?!
A man in Oregon might now hold a dubious distinction -- the highest recorded blood alcohol content -- because cops say he was .77 during a DUI arrest.
The incident went down earlier this month a couple hours outside of Portland -- where cops say they were called about a hit-and-run. They tracked down a white Ford Explorer and after pulling it over ... "observed the driver to be HIGHLY intoxicated." The all-caps emphasis was made by the Warm Springs PD.
Cops say Nathan Danzuka fled in the Explorer and a short pursuit began until he crashed into a concrete barrier about half a mile from the initial stop.
When the dust settled ... cops say Danzuka's blood alcohol content was 0.77%, which is more than nine times the legal limit. Goes without saying ... his driver's license was suspended and he was taken to the hospital for a medical evaluation and placed into custody. Cops say criminal charges are pending for the 28-year-old motorist.
A .77 is reportedly the highest ever recorded BAC, surpassing the previous record of .72 set in 2007 by a woman ... also from Oregon.
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Martin Gugino Elderly Buffalo Protester Sues City Ya Cracked My Damn Skull!!!
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Martin Gugino, the elderly Buffalo protester who got knocked to the ground and bled out of his ears, is now suing the city over that ordeal.
The 75-year-old man is suing the City of Buffalo, its mayor, several police officers and the Commissioner ... alleging the curfew they imposed last summer amid BLM protests was arbitrarily enforced, and ended up landing him in the hospital with a cracked noggin.
In his docs, Gugino says the 8 PM curfew they enforced at Niagara Square was draconian and frankly unconstitutional, infringing on his right to be there and peacefully protest ... as he claims he was doing that day.
Gugino claims mere minutes after the clock struck 8, officers in riot gear began picking and choosing whom they wanted to accost and arrest arbitrarily. Out of fear for other protesters, Gugino says he tried to talk them down, but alleges they screamed, "Push him" ... which he says 2 officers then did, with excessive force.
Of course, we've all seen what happened next ... he stumbled back, and slammed his head into the sidewalk. Gugino says that upon being transferred to a hospital, he learned he'd suffered a concussion and that his skull had been fractured.
After the fact, Gugino claims Buffalo PD tried brushing off his injury as a trip-and-fall -- but Gugino says that couldn't be further from the truth. He claims he was hospitalized for weeks, and that eventually ... Mayor Byron Brown copped to what had actually happened.
Despite this ... a Grand Jury declined to indict the 2 officers accused of pushing Gugino.
Gugino goes on to list a number of Buffalo police-involved incidents dating back years that he insists paints a pattern of excessive force and abuse of power. He's also asking for major damages -- punitive and otherwise that he feels will deter Buffalo PD from repeating this type of behavior.
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Bobby Shmurda Release from Prison Days Away He'll Chill W/ the Fam & Become the Music Man
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Bobby Shmurda's plans following his prison release Tuesday will be low key -- he'll grub with the fam bam, spend some QT with them and hit the ground running with his music.
Bobby's mom, Leslie Pollard, tells TMZ ... once Bobby's released from prison he'll enjoy an intimate dinner with his family. Leslie says she's counting down the hours until her son's release. Bobby's also excited, to say the least.
After dinner, we're told Bobby -- who's been locked up since 2014 -- wants to keep it chill. Nothing crazy. He wants to get back to his passion, which of course is music. Leslie tells us he'll devote most, if not all, of his time to creating music again.
Bobby will definitely carve out some time for a very important person ... his parole officer. We're told he'll be checking in regularly, because he has to.
As we reported ... the rapper’s conditional release date was bumped up to February 23 ...a full 10 months early. Not bad ... considering he had some problems during his prison stint.
Bobby will be on parole until 2026.
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Trick Daddy Plea Deal After Cocaine, DUI Arrest
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Trick Daddy's taking a plea deal in his Miami bust for cocaine possession and driving under the influence, and now he's finally able to put the case behind him.
The District Attorney's Office tells us Trick cut a deal ... pleading guilty to possession of cocaine and getting credit for time served. In exchange, we're told the DUI charge was dropped.
We broke the story ... police bodycam footage from the rapper's January 2020 arrest showed a white powdery substance tucked away in a dollar bill. Cops also said he also bombed a field sobriety test, and the video shows him slurring his speech while playing the celeb card.
That didn't really help him, however there was only a trace amount of cocaine -- so he got a very low level, third-degree felony. The D.A. tells us he's not on probation, either ... the plea deal closes case.
Trick's attorney Harris Gilbert tells TMZ ... "As part of the plea he was also able to give back to the community he loves so much with a donation to Camillus House homeless shelter."
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James Franco Settles Sexual Misconduct Lawsuit
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James Franco's sexual misconduct lawsuit has been settled.
Franco, who taught an acting class at Studio 4 -- the film school he founded -- was accused by students of putting them in gratuitous and exploitive sexual situations.
Students filed a class-action lawsuit, saying Franco pushed the class into performing intimate and explicit sex scenes in an "orgy type setting" ... something that went way beyond the pale of shooting such scenes.
The class in question was called a master class on sex scenes.
Both sides announced the settlement to the trial judge, although the terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Specifically, there's no mention of money.
Franco opened the school in 2014. It shut down 3 years later.
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'Ray Donovan' Octavius Johnson Arrested Over Alleged Fire Extinguisher Attack
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Octavius Johnson, famous for his work in "Ray Donovan," got busted for assault with a deadly weapon ... after cops say he threw a fire extinguisher at a female jogger.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... officers in Burbank responded to a call that a man had allegedly thrown a fire extinguisher at a jogger when they encountered Octavius, whom cops say fit the description of the suspect. We're told cops tried to detain him, but he refused to comply and led police on a brief foot chase.
Cops caught Octavius and arrested him after the alleged victim ID'd him as the culprit. We're told officers recovered a fire extinguisher, and Octavius was booked for assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest.
Octavius allegedly continued his rampage inside a Burbank Police Department holding cell ... we're told he vandalized the phone inside the cell, violently striking the phone box with the handheld receiver.
Our sources say the assault case was presented to the L.A. County District Attorney's Office but the DA referred the case to the Burbank City Attorney's Office, which rejected the case due to insufficient evidence and a witness who would not cooperate.
We're told the Burbank City Attorney will now review the vandalism allegation for possible misdemeanor prosecution.
Octavius’s manager, Danny Estrada, tells TMZ ... "Octavius has been dealing with mental health issues and is currently getting the help he needs."
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Lisa Vanderpump Shuttered Restaurants Sued ... Gotta Pay for Fruits & Veggies!!!
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Lisa Vanderpump's struggled, like all restaurant owners, due to the pandemic, and now she has another headache ... a lawsuit for unpaid produce.
As you know, Lisa and Ken Todd own and operate PUMP and Villa Blanca -- 2 L.A. hotspots ... pre-COVID, of course. Both joints shut down last year during quarantine, but used to get fruit and veggie shipments from a company called West Central Produce.
Now, West Central Produce is suing the restaurants, not Lisa, for past deliveries. In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, WCP says it got its last payment from Villa Blanca in March 2020 for $8,890.10 ... while PUMP forked over $9,144.70. That's a ton o' veggies!
But, that's right around the time quarantine started, forcing restaurants to close for several months -- and WCP claims the money also stopped coming in from Vanderpump's restaurants.
All told, the company claims it's owed just under $100k from both eateries. It's suing for that amount, plus some interest.
What's interesting is Lisa and Ken announced last summer that Villa Blanca was shutting down for good. Like so many restaurants, the pandemic closures were just too much to overcome -- but the good news is Lisa says PUMP will eventually reopen.
Ken tells us, while he wasn't aware of the lawsuit, if he owes money to anyone, he'll make sure his accountants get WCP paid. He says COVID has been a tough time for everyone in the restaurant biz. PUMP has been closed since the pandemic started.
One more thing ... your mom would like us to remind you to eat your veggies! 😉
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Talib Kweli's Wife DJ Eque Files for Divorce
Talib Kweli and his wife, DJ Eque, are calling it quits -- or at least she is, because she's filed for divorce.
According to court records ... Eque filed docs Friday in L.A. She and the rapper/activist got married back in May 2009 at a private mansion in Bel-Air. Queen Latifah and Questlove were some of the guests.
Things didn't always go swimmingly for the couple. Back in December 2010 ... Talib and Eque were reportedly kicked out of an NYC club after they got into an ugly fight. At the time, Eque sources said she'd lost her cool after she saw him in a friendly convo with another female inside the club -- and it turned into an all-out brawl, complete with table and glass smashing.
Let's hope the divorce goes smoother. The couple doesn't have any minor children together.